Apparatus for the continence of digestive stomas and anal incontinence

Abstract

 The apparatus comprises a sphincterformed of a flexible band or strip (1) which has a series of chambers (8,9) or bubbles (2), the chambers having flexible hermetic walls and being interconnected. One of the chambers bears connected to it, a conduit (4) through which, by means of a suction-impeller pump, a fluid is introduced and extracted, which permits the filling and emptying of the different chambers or bubbles and thereby the inflation and deflation respectively of said chambers. The said band or strip (1) is placed around the intestine near the stoma on the outside of the latter, and the pump is a manually actuated pump.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus intended to obtain continence of the digestive stomas, both abdominal and perineal, and of anal incontinence.

[0002] In order to obtain continence of the diges- tive stomas; an apparatus known under the name of "Maclet (r)" is at present used.

[0003] This apparatus consists of two parts : a magnetic ring and a magnetic plug. The ring is placed around the stoma and the plug within it. This system gives satisfactory results only in colostomies, but not in ileostomies.

[0004] In any event, the said apparatus can today not be applied to the perineal region.

[0005] The objet of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which can be applied in any location of the stomas and in any type of stoma, and which also serves for anal incontinences of any degree.

[0006] The apparatus of the invention is characterized by the fact that it comprises a sphincter formed of a flexible band or strip which has at least two longitudinal rows of staggered chambers or bubbles. These chambers have flexible hermetic walls. In addition, the chambers or bubbles are interconnected with each other. One of the. chambers bears connected to it a conduit through which, by means of a suction- impeller pump of subcutaneous location, a fluid is introduced and extracted, which makes it possible to fill and empty the different chambers or bubbles. When the chambers are filled, they are inflated to their maximum capacity, while when they are evacuated, they are deflated, the two walls of each chamber being prati- cally against each other.

[0007] The strip of band is intended to be placed around the intestine near the stoma, on the outside thereof.

[0008] The band or strip being arranged in the manner indicated, the plunger of the valve is actuated, the pump aspirates the content of the chambers, evacuating them, whereby the decompression of the sphincter is obtained. On the other hand, when the pump is compressed, the fluid is again forced into the chambers filling them and the chambers are inflated, acquiring a given pressure, compressing and closing the digestive tube, thus avoiding the discharge of the solid, liquid or gaseous elements thereof.

[0009] The apparatus of the invention can be provided with an electronic device intended to advise the patient that the pressure within the digestive tube has reached given values which make it advisable to decompress the sphincter.

[0010] The sphincter of the invention may be constructed in different models and dimensions depending on the requirements and use thereof. For example, the band or strip may be of a height of 1 to 1 1/2 cm with a length which varies depending on the ostomy of the patient, for instance between 6 and 12 cm, and 2 mm in thickness. The band or strip will consist of two rows of three chambers, staggered with each other, of a height of 0,5 to 0,75 cm, which are arranged close together. The length of the chambers may vary between 2 and 4 cm. The different chambers communicate with each other, discharging through a tube which extends from one of the chambers, which tube extends up to the chamber of the manually actuated suction-impeller pump.

[0011] Of the two walls which define each chamber, the wall which will be directed towards the wall of the intestine may be of greater flexibility than the outer wall, so that upon the inflation or deflation the chambers experience only a change in the position of the inner wall.

[0012] The inner wall of the chambers, in addition to being flexible, can be elastic.

[0013] The sphincter with its chambers as well as the outlet tube will preferably consist of silicone or some other material of similar properties which is tolerated by the body. Nevertheless, on one of the sides there may be placed a plate of different material which permits better anchoring in the tissue and stimulates fibrosis, such as teflon, dacron, etc.

[0014] In accordance with a variant of the invention, the chambers or bubbles of each row may be extended in longitudinal direction so as to interconnect with each other, defining a single hermetic chamber in each row. Each chamber will be of sufficient size to surround the intestine.

[0015] In accordance with this variant, the sphincter may be formed of a single hermetic chamber or else of two parallel intercommunicating chambers.

[0016] In the case of both one or two parallel chambers, these chambers may have an open doric configuration, in which case the closed ends are close together and attached to each other when the chamber or chambers are placed around the intestine. The chamber or chambers may also be of continuous annular configuration.

[0017] As can be understood, if desired, the sphincter could comprise more than two parallel chambers.

[0018] In accordance with still another variant, a single row of chambers is provided, the chambers being of vertical course and being located close to each other so that when the support band is closed around the intestine, when these chambers are inflated, they contain the intestine within them, closing the passage through same.

[0019] The said chambers may also be of a cross section which decreases from one end to the opposite end, the cross section of all of the chambers increasing in the same direction.

[0020] In order that the nature of the apparatus of the invention may be more easily understood, a more detailed description thereof is given below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which a few possible embodiments are shown, given by way of illustration and not of limitation.

[0021] In the drawings, identical parts or parts of identical function have been designated by the same reference numbers.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the band or strip which constitutes the sphincter ;

Fig. 2 is a cross section on a larger scale, along the line II-II of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 is a plan view, on a larger scale, of the shaped sphincter ;

Figs 4 and 5 are plan views of the developed apparatus, constructed in accordance with certain variants of the invention ;

Fig. 6 shows in profile the apparatus mounted around the intestine, with the chamber or chambers inflated ;

Fig. 7 is another possible variant of the invention in its extended position ;

Fig. 8 corresponds to a plan view with the band or strip which serves as support for the chambers closed and the chambers inflated ;

Fig. 9 is a cross section along the line IX-IX of Fig. 8.

[0022] As can be noted from Fig. 1, the sphincter is formed from a band or strip 1 of suitable material such as silicone, on which there have been shaped a number of chambers 2 with hermetic walls, which communicate with each other through small passageways 3, so that the pressure which prevails in all the chambers is practically the same. From one of these chambers a conduit 4 extends to a manually operated suction-impeller pump, which may be of any nature.

[0023] This pump will operate in such a manner that when the valve is depressed the fluid contained inthe chambers 2 is aspirated, emptying them, whereby the two walls of said chambers come against each other. On the other hand when the pump is actuated, the fluid will be forced into the chambers 2, which will be inflated.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 2, the chambers may comprise one wall 5 of greater flexibility than the other component wall 6 of the strip 1. The wall 5 of greater flexibility will be the wall which faces the intestine when placed around the latter.

[0025] In the example described, the strip or band 1 comprises two rows of chambers 2 aligned in each row, those of one row being staggered with respect to those of the other. In Fig. 2 there is shown the intercommunication passage 3 between two chambers which is obtained between the walls 5 and 6 which define said chambers.

[0026] The wall 5 will be of great flexibility and may furthermore be elastic in nature.

[0027] The wall 6 may be covered oh one of its faces by a material which facilitates its anchoring to the tissue,which material may consist of teflon, dacron, etc.

[0028] The strip or band of Fig. 1 is arranged in the manner shown in Fig. 3, winding it from the intestine near the stoma and connecting the ends of the strip or band. In this way, the chambers 2 when they are inflated will reduce to a minimum the central space 7 occupied by the intestine, which will be subjected to pressure, preventing the discharge of solid, liquid and even gaseous elements. When the pump is operated, the chambers 2 are deflated, whereby the stoma is freed, permitting the discharge of the elements contained in the intestine.

[0029] As already indicated, there may be placed in the intestine near the stoma and in anintramural location, an electronic device which advises the patient when a givenpressure at which decompression of the sphincter is advisable has been reached.

[0030] Referring now to Fig. 4, the chambers of each row in accordance with the arrangement of Fig. 1 are now replaced by two hermetic continuous chambers, designated 8 and 9, which are connected together by the passage 3, one of said chambers, in this case the chamber 8, having a conduit 4 for the introduction and removal of the fluid used to inflate and deflate said chambers.

[0031] In the case of Fig. 5, there is only a single chamber 8 from which the inlet and outlet conduit 4 extends.

[0032] As can be noted from Fig. 6, the strip or band 1 with its chambers 8 and 9 is placed on the outside around the intestine 10, the transverse edges of the strip or band 1 being connected together or else the closed ends of the chamber or chambers, in the event that there is no said band.

[0033] Upon inflation of the chamber or chambers 8 and 9, the intestine 10 is compressed so as to prevent passage through it. On the other hand, upon deflation of the chamber or chambers 8 and 9, the intestine 10 can expand, permitting passage through it.

[0034] The chambers 8 and 9 may, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, have an open configuration or else a continuous closed doric configuration, defining a ring which is mounted around the intestine 10.

[0035] The wall of the chambers 8 and 9 which faces the intestine 10 may be of'a flexible and elastic nature, while it is reinforeed on the outside so that it cannot expand outward upon the inflation of the chambers. This reinforcement may consist, for instance, of a semi-rigid ring 11, in this way making certain that upon the inflation of the chambers 8 and 9 their expansion will take place in radially inward direction so as to compress the intestine-10.

[0036] The ring 11 may be split in the event that the chambers 8 and 9 have the configuration shown in Figs. 4 and 5 so as to permit the mounting thereof. If the chambers are continuous annular chambers, the ring 11 may be a closed ring.

[0037] The chambers 2, as shown in Figs. 7 to 9, may be of cross section which increases towards their lower part, so that when they are inflated the pressure which may prevail within the intestine presses with greater force against the upper part of the chambers 2 of smaller cross section, whereby the lower part of said chambers will compress the intestine with greater pressure, thus ensuring closure through same.

[0038] The chambers 2, in a simpler configuration, could be developed in the form of vertical cylindrical chambers approximately tangent to the band or strip 1.

[0039] Having sufficiently described the nature of the invention as well as the manner of reducing it to practice, it should be pointed out that the arrangements indicated above are capable of modifications in detail insofar as they do not change its fundamental principle.

Claims

1. An apparatus for the continence of digestive stomas and anal incontinence, characterized by the fact that it comprises a sphincter formed of a flexible band or strip (1) which has a series of chambers (2) or bubbles, preferably arranged in two longitudinal rows with chambers staggered, the chambers having flexible hermetic walls (5) and being interconnected, one of the chambers bearing, connected to it, a conduit (4) through which, by means of a suction-impeller pump, a fluid is introduced and extracted, which permits the filling and emptying of the different chambers or bubbles (2) and thereby the inflation and deflation respectively of said chambers, the said band or strip (1) being intended to be placed around the intestine near the stoma on the outside of the latter, and the pump being a manually actuated pump.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that there is a single chamber (8) of sufficient size and, connected to it, a conduit through which, by means of a pump, a fluid is introduced and extracted so as to permit the filling and evacuation of the said chamber.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that the chamber (8, 9) is of an open doric configuration, the closed ends of which are close to and connected to each other when said chamber is arranged around the intestine.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that the chamber (8, 9) is of continuous annular configuration.

5. An apparatus according to claims 1 and 2, characterized by the fact that there are two or more chambers (2) arranged in parallel and intercommunicating with each other, forming a single piece, one of the chambers being connected to the inlet and outlet conduit (4).

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that the chambers increase in cross section from one of their ends to the opposite end, all of the chambers increasing in cross section in the same direction.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 5 and 6, characterized by the fact that one of the walls of the chamber or chambers is of greater flexibility than the other wall.

8. An apparatus according to claims 1, 2, 5 and 6, characterized by the fact that one of the walls of the chamber or chambers is flexible and elastic.

9. An apparatus according to the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the region of the wall of the chamber or chambers (8, 9) (which are) directed towards the wall of the intestine (10) is flexible and elastic while on the outside the wall of said chambers is reinforced to prevent its expansion.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that the outside reinforcement consists of a semi-rigid ring (11) or clamp which surrounds all of the chambers or chamber.

11. An apparatus for the continence of digestive stomas and anal incontinence, substantially as described in the present specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

Drawing